A 76-year-old Royal Navy veteran has come face to face with the firefighters who pulled him from the brink of death.

Colin Cartmell and his wife Eileen visited Odsal Fire Station to say a personal thank-you to the men of Blue Watch.

The rescuers twice restarted Mr Cartmell's heart after he collapsed while playing badminton at a Bradford sports centre.

Thanks to their efforts, Mr Cartmell survived the attack and is on the road to recovery after having a pacemaker and defibrillator fitted.

The grandfather-of-two, who survived the blowing up of the battleship HMS Barnham in 1941 in the Mediterranean, said: "To think what they did for me, it's marvellous. Without their help there was just no hope for me at all. There is no doubt that it is extremely important that the fire brigade carry defibrillators with them, otherwise I wouldn't be here.

"I still feel weak but otherwise OK. I will go back to the badminton court but I'll be looking for the defibrillator first!"

The drama unfolded while Blue Watch were on a training exercise at the Richard Dunn Sports Centre in Odsal on Friday, August 11.

They raced to Mr Cartmell's aid with a portable defibrillator after staff raised the alarm and shocked his heart back to life.

Station Officer Frank Hutchinson said: "We couldn't find a pulse. The priority was to give him oxygen as soon as possible as he was turning blue. Sub officer Keith Shaw put on an oxygen mask and I started the heart massage.

"There still wasn't a pulse so we attached the defibrillator's electrodes on to Mr Cartmell's chest and ribs.

"The machine automatically searched for a pulse and when it couldn't found one it's electronic voice told us to stand back. I pressed the button which sends an electric shock out.

"The shock shot his body upwards. We had to do this three times before Firefighter Robert Wardman, who had taken over from me, said he felt a movement in Mr Cartmell's chest.

"We took the machine off and kept on giving more oxygen. The paramedics arrived and took Mr Cartmell to hospital."

It was only the second time the defibrillator - Survivlink - has been used by firefighters in the county, the first time was also by the Odsal team.

Mr Cartmell is pictured with Frank Hutchinson and Robert Wardman.